TRACKING___ A group from the local government area of origin of Chief Timi Alaibe and Governor Duoye Diri has appealed to the former Managing Director of NDDC Chief Timi Alaibi to discontinue his ongoing petition in Court that seeks to nullify the primaries that produced the later as the 2019 governorship candidate of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Kolokuma/Opokuma Economic Summit Group, according to its convener, Chief Engr Elvis Donkemezuo, was born out of the desire to create ideas that will foster and instigate the social and economic well-being of its people.
In a statement made available to news men in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, the group said that the urgent need for their intervention was precipitated by the recent happenings amongst the above two of their prominent Kolga sons around the political air space in the state.
The group’s convener said Kolga Economic Summit Group is the foremost initiative of young eloquent professionals from Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area working in different parts of the country and beyond who came together to forge a common front for the unity and betterment of their people in consultations with their Royal fathers; late Opu Okun IV and Kala Okun King Mozi Agara, who gave their blessings to the group.
The group said it intends to organize the first ever Kolga Economic summit that will bring ideas and policies to promote the economic well-being of their people.
The convener said they have being going round, in furtherance of this, and reaching out to our prominent sons and daughters, such as the late King Okpoitari Diongoli the Igbedaowei of Opokuma clan and King Mozi Agara the Igbedaowei of Kolokuma clan, Dr Tarila Tebepah, former NDDC Board Chairman, Ken Etete, renowned businessman, Engr Olice Kemenanabo, former MD Bayelsa State Gas Turbine, Senator Douye Diri, Gen Maxwell Appah Rtd, Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, to mention but a few. And they have been quiet inspiring.
“We believe that part of the strategy to advance our course is to have political powers in a diverse country as ours today. Therefore we need to often support the political advancement of Kolga leaders when necessary.
“As a matter of fact efforts to promote this idea was greatly supported during the last gubernatorial election in the state where we had a Kolgan in the person of Senator Douye Diri contesting as the flag bearer of one of the major political parties and Kolga SES gave him our total unflinching support and by God’s own divine intervention he came out triumphantly through the Supreme Court after the last minute disqualification of his main rival.
“This led to wide jubilation from all Kolgans in the LGA and beyond but sadly what is suppose to be a victory for all Kolgans is now being challenged in court by another Kolgan leader who contested the election at the party level.
“What bothers us as Kolga SES is that what is being contested in court is preelection matters and he is not asking the court to declare him the winner based on the votes distance between them, but asking for outright cancellations of the entire process.
“The main worry is that the suit in court doesn’t leave us with any opportunity of having the challenger declared winner. That is why Kolga SES believes that the case in court is not in the interest of Kolgans.
“Chief Timi Alaibe is a respected son of Kolga and if he had emerged the flag bearer we all would have supported him just the same way we did for Senator Douye Diri.
“Based on the above reasons, we call on Chief Timi Alaibe to have a rethink and sheath his sword in the interest of Kolgans and posterity so that he will not be adjudged in the future as the man who, for his personal interest, truncated the first opportunity a Kolgan ever had to be governor.
“We call on him to discontinue his petition against Governor Douye Diri who is another Kolgan and have even worked under him in the past for his own governorship ambition.
“Kolgans have suffered too much for the Niger Delta and have been the epicenter of all ijaw struggles that made so much sacrifices from Major Isaac Adaka Boro whose 12 day revolutionary work gave us old Rivers state then to Chief Dan Etete, late King Aganaba, Gen Maxwell Appah Rtd and others who fought for the creation of today’s Bayelsa State, to the Kaiama Declaration and subsequent raising down of Odi community all in our local government area. Yet, we have been unable to produce a governor since old Rivers State days.
“We plead with Chief Alaibe to listen to the cries of the ordinary Kolgans who now see this as a personal vendetta and battle of ego; that the elites of Kolga are now involved in the pursuit of personal political profit against the collective interest of Kolgans.
“Kolga is made up of just 9 communities from the two brothers Opu okun and Kala Okun and can not been seen to fight endlessly. We should rather join hands with Governor Douye Diri and work together to advance the economy of the state in general and Kolgans in particular.
“We also use this opportunity to call on Governor Diri to be magnanimous in victory and reach out to everyone including Chief Alaibe for reconciliation and collaboration to move the state forward.
“Finally we call on Governor Diri to use his position to convey a socio-economic summit of Kolga leaders that will help him fine tune strategies and policies to engage and develop the average Kolgans,” Chief Donkemezuo further stated on behalf of the group.
